Q MR. FELDMAN JUST ASKED YOU ABOUT THE FINGERNAIL CLIPPINGS AND ASKED YOU IF MR. WESTERFIELD WAS EXCLUDED. DO YOU RECALL THAT?
A YES, I DO.

Q IS IT ALSO THE CASE THAT FROM YOUR RESULTS FROM THE FINGERNAILS THERE WAS NO FOREIGN D.N.A., THAT IS, FOREIGN TO DANIELLE VAN DAM, AT ALL, CORRECT?
A THAT'S CORRECT.

Q DOES THAT MEAN EVERYONE IN THE WORLD EXCEPT DANIELLE VAN DAM WOULD BE EXCLUDED?
A THAT'S CORRECT.

...RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. FELDMAN:

Q DOES IT ALSO MEAN THERE WAS NOTHING THERE?
A NO. I CAN'T EXACTLY SAY THAT.

...Q. AND LET'S START WITH WHICHEVER IS EASIEST IN EACH OF THOSE THREE ITEMS.
A. WELL, FOR BOTH ITEMS 27 AND 29, AGAIN 27 IS LEFT FINGERNAIL SCRAPINGS, 29 IS THE POSSIBLE FLAKE -- BLOOD FLAKE OR TISSUE. FOR THOSE TWO ITEMS WE RECEIVED NO RESULTS.

...22 Q. WHAT ABOUT THE THIRD ITEM, THE RIGHT SCRAPINGS?
A. FOR ITEM 28, WHICH WAS THE RIGHT FINGERNAIL SCRAPINGS, WE OBTAINED A PARTIAL S. T. R. PROFILE.

Q. NOW, PARTIAL S. T. R. PROFILE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
A. THERE ARE 13 LOCATIONS THAT WE COMMONLY LOOK AT IN EACH SAMPLE, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE RESULTS FROM ALL 13 LOCATIONS. SO IT BECOMES A PARTIAL PROFILE.

Q. CAN YOU USE A PARTIAL PROFILE TO MAKE COMPARISONS TO INDIVIDUALS TO SEE IF THAT PERSON COULD OR COULDN'T HAVE LEFT THAT SAMPLE?
A. YES, YOU CAN.

Q. WERE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT IN THIS CASE?
A. YES, WE WERE.

Q. WITH WHAT RESULTS?
A. ITEM 28 MATCHED THE PROFILE OF DANIELLE VAN DAM AT THE LOCATIONS WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN. AND MR. WESTERFIELD IS EXCLUDED AS THE SOURCE OF THIS ITEM.

...Q: WHAT OTHER ITEMS OF EVIDENCE DID YOU EXAMINE?
A: I EXAMINED THREE VACUUM CLEANERS.I LOOKED AT THE CONTENTS OF THE BAG FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. FOR AN EARRING BACKING AND ALSO FOR HAIRS.

Q: I'M SORRY. YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AN EARRING BACKING, IS THAT RIGHT?
A: THAT'S CORRECT.

THE WITNESS: I'M REFERRING TO NOW WHAT IS CALLED OUR WORKSHEET. IT HAS FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AT THE TOP. IT'S DATED FEBRUARY 14TH, 2002.

MR. FELDMAN: THANK YOU. BY MR. CLARKE:

Q DOES THAT WORKSHEET REFLECT THE VARIOUS ITEMS OF EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY THE BUREAU ON THAT DATE IN FEBRUARY?
A YES, IT DOES.

Q CAN YOU DESCRIBE THEM FOR ME.
A YES. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DESCRIBE THEM INDIVIDUALLY?

Q YES, PLEASE.
A WE HAVE THEM LISTED AS SPECIMENS Q1 THROUGH Q5, AND THAT'S IDENTIFIED AS DEBRIS FROM A VACUUM CLEANER. SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S NUMBERS ON THOSE ARE ITEMS 23-1 THROUGH 23-5.

Items collected AFTER Danielle's body was found at Dehesa:
Item 89 - the dirty white sheet from Dehesa
Item 92 - the clean white sheet from Dehesa
Item 93 -
Item 100 - fingernail clippings from left hand
Item 101 - fingernail clippings from right hand
Item 103 - A HAIR THAT WAS TANGLED UP IN THE RIGHT HAND
Item 104 - A SWAB OR SWABS FROM THE FRONT NECK AREA OF DANIELLE VAN DAM
Item 105 - SWABS FROM DANIELLE VAN DAM'S BACK NECK AREA
Item 106 - DARK SHORT HAIR FROM THE VICTIM'S BODY
Item 108 - HAIR REMOVED FROM THE VICTIM'S HEAD
Item 115 - VEGETATION THAT WAS COLLECTED FROM THE VICTIM'S LOWER BACK
Item 115 - DEBRIS THAT WAS COLLECTED FROM BELOW HER BODY AT THE ACTUAL CRIME SCENE.
Item 120 - NECKLACE TAKEN FROM AROUND DANIELLE'S NECK

Item 169 - THE SAME HAIR THAT WE'VE HEARD TESTIMONY ABOUT FROM THE ARMPIT AREA?
A. IT'S A DIFFERENT HAIR.
A. AFTER IT WAS ANALYZED, IT WAS PACKAGED WITH OTHER TRACE EVIDENCE COLLECTED AS ITEM T. E.-J. S.5.

Q. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION NOW TO AN ITEM LABELED T. E.-J. S. 4 THAT I BELIEVE WAS LABELED IN YOUR LABORATORY SEPARATELY THREE DIFFERENT ITEMS WITHIN THAT GROUP, NUMBERS 27, 28 AND 29; IS THAT CORRECT?
A. THAT IS CORRECT.

Q. DID THAT CONSIST OF WHAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS SCRAPINGS FROM THE RIGHT FINGERNAILS OF DANIELLE VAN DAM?
A. ITEM 28 IS DESCRIBED AS AN ENVELOPE CONTAINING SCRAPINGS COLLECTED FROM THE RIGHT FINGERNAILS.
(Can't find much information about ITEM T. E.-J. S.5)

Q. Mr. Soriano, about how many different items did you test, sir?
A. Roughly approximately over -- approximately 97 items.

Q. Did you also test items from the recovery scene?
A. Yes, i did.

Q. What did you test?
A. Could you be more specific?

Q. Well, i asked you did you test items from the recovery scene.
A. Yes.

Q. You understand we're talking about the area where danielle van dam was found?
A. Okay.

Q. What items, if you recall, did you test from the recovery scene?
A. I tested a selected number of leaves.

Q. And you were specifically requested to test certain of the clothing that had been provided, is that right?
A. I'm sorry, could you be more specific in terms of the clothing?

Q. Well, you specifically indicated in your report that the front of the v-neck swab, item no. 104, the back of the v-neck swab, item 105, the oral swabs, i think your abbreviation is the vaginal swabs and the rectal swabs, you tested all of those items is that right, sir?
A. Correct.

Q. And the purpose of the test was to determine presence or absence of semen; is that correct?
A. The component of semen, correct.

Q. You did not find any evidence of that component of semen, did you?
A. Those items that you just mentioned gave me negative results for the p-30, the component of semen.

Q. Now, everything you tested -- anything you tested for the presence of semen, all that tested negative, didn't it?
A. Presumptive tests tested negative for semen as well as the component of semen, p-30 also tested negative.

Q. You were also asked to test for the presence of absence of semen on the multi-colored blanket that mr. Clarke showed you on direct, isn't that right?
A. Specifically? the item 93?

Q. Yes.
A. Correct.

Q. That was negative, wasn't it?
A. That is correct, negative for presumptive test for semen.
MR. CORNACCHIA.
Q: IN PARTICULAR WERE YOU ASKED TO EXAMINE A PAIR OF BLUE/WHITE, BLUE-AND-WHITE PAJAMAS IDENTIFIED AS ITEM NUMBER 2?
A: YES, I WAS.

Q: WERE YOU ALSO ASKED TO EXAMINE A PURPLE-AND-BLUE, LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT IDENTIFIED AS ITEM NUMBER 3?
A: YES, I WAS.

Q. I think i talked to you but i want to be more specific. You identified a light reddish brown stain near the side of the multi-colored blanket with design patterns and a pocket item 10, number seven on property tag 850125 as giving a weak positive result for the chemical presumptive test for blood, isn't that right? This is again 11 of 14. I think it was the very next paragraph down, sir?
A. Okay. Item 10- gave a weak possible result for the chemical presumptive test for blood.

Q. That was off of -- i'm sorry, a multi-colored blanket?
A. A multi-colored blanket.

Q. Is that one of the items that mr. Clarke showed you?
A. No.

...q. Would an acrylic multi-colored blanket shed only orange fibers if it had orange in it?
A. No.

Q. So if there was an orange blanket -- an acrylic multi-colored blanket that had some orange in it, it might have some blue in it, it might have some emerald green in it, it might have some white in it, any different number of colors, is that right?
A. Yes.

Q. So the constellation of colors that came out of the sheet, i think it's 91, could have come from a multi-colored acrylic blanket?

Mr. Clarke: Objection, calls for --

the court: Sustained.

By mr. Feldman:

Q. Is it fair to say that the constellation of colors which i believe came from 91, the sheet, could have come from a multi-colored blanket?

Mr. Clarke: Same objection,

the court: Overruled. You can answer.

The witness: Yes.

...q i would like to ask you if in this examination of items from the cleaner's did that include your examination of one or more comforters?
A yes.

Q was one of those comforters striped as opposed to a different pattern or color?
A may i refer to my notes?

Q yes.
A by referring to my report, this would be page 2 of the report, yes, a multi-colored comforter or multi-colored designed stripe comforter.

Q was that assigned an item number?
A yes, it was.

Q what was that?
A item 93.

q did you obtain or discover any bloodstains on that comforter?
A on item 93 i did not.

q. I think i talked to you but i want to be more specific. You identified a light reddish brown stain near the side of the multi-colored blanket with design patterns and a pocket item 10, number seven on property tag 850125 as giving a weak positive result for the chemical presumptive test for blood, isn't that right? This is again 11 of 14. I think it was the very next paragraph down, sir?
A. Okay. Item 10- gave a weak possible result for the chemical presumptive test for blood.

Q. That was off of -- i'm sorry, a multi-colored blanket?
A. A multi-colored blanket.

Q. Is that one of the items that mr. Clarke showed you?
A. No.

q. Now, everything you tested -- anything you tested for the presence of semen, all that tested negative, didn't it?
A. Presumptive tests tested negative for semen as well as the component of semen, p-30 also tested negative.

Q. You were also asked to test for the presence of absence of semen on the multi-colored blanket that mr. Clarke showed you on direct, isn't that right?
A. Specifically? The item 93?

Q. Yes.
A. Correct.

Q. That was negative, wasn't it?
A. That is correct, negative for presumptive test for semen.

Q. I AM GOING TO CHANGE TO THE COMFORTER FROM THE DRY CLEANERS, WHICH I THINK YOU DISCUSSED ON DIRECT EXAMINATION, ITEM 93B.

93 IS DESCRIBED IN THE EVIDENCE LIST AS A MULTI-COLORED COMFORTER, AND I BELIEVE YOU RECEIVED IT FROM DETECTIVE TORGERSON, OR IT WAS RECEIVED FROM DETECTIVE TORGERSON FROM THE CLEANERS?
A. THAT'S CORRECT.

Graham - June 19, 2002:
Q: DID YOU COMPARE THE KNOWN PRINTS FROM DANIELLE VAN DAM WITH THE SIX LATENTS CONTAINED WITHIN THAT ENVELOPE?
A: YES, I DID.

Q: WHEN DID YOU DO THAT?
A: MARCH 7TH IS THE DATE. ACTUALLY I HAD DONE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM THE 20TH THROUGH THE 7TH. BUT MARCH 7TH WAS THE DAY I MADE AN IDENTIFICATION.

...Q: AND THEN WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THEM?
A: TOOK THEM BACK TO MY OFFICE, DID SOME PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE RIDGE DETAIL AS IT WAS WHEN I GOT A HOLD OF THE HANDS, AND THEN INTRODUCED THEM TO A -- IT'S A CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF EMBALMING FLUIDS. WHAT HAPPENS IS WE SUBMERGE THEM IN THE CHEMICALS, AND THE HANDS WILL ACTUALLY BEGIN TO ABSORB THE CHEMICALS, BEGIN TO REHYDRATE, SWELL BACK UP. AND THEN IT MAKES THE -- PUTS THE RIDGE DETAIL BACK IN A MORE NORMAL-APPEARING CONDITION.

Q: HOW LONG DID THAT TAKE?
A: I WAS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AS LATE AS MAY 10TH OF THIS YEAR BEFORE I MADE AN IDENTIFICATION. IT WAS A WEEK.
(If an identification was made on March 7th, why was he still taking photographs as late as May 10th?)

...Q: WERE YOU ABLE TO LOCATE IT?
A: YEAH. ACTUALLY THIS PRINT HAS BEEN LIFTED TWICE. IT'S STILL VISIBLE. STILL THERE ON THAT CABINET.

Items collected AFTER Danielle's body was found at Dehesa:
Item 100 - fingernail clippings from left hand
Item 101 - fingernail clippings from right hand

Graham - March 12, 2002:
Q. Were you provided known prints of an individual, at least hand prints from an autopsy, hands from an autopsy?
A. Yes.

Q. How did you get those, sir?
A. I went to the medical examiner's office myself and collected them.

Q. When and under what conditions?
A. On the 28th of February at 11:52 in the morning I went to the medical examiner's office and actually looked at the hands myself to determine if I could work with them there in the office. They were too far mummified. So I asked the medical examiner to remove them, and I took them with me back to my office.

Q. What did you do with those hands when you took them back to your office?
A. Started photography immediately, and then introduced them into a chemical mixture of embalming fluids to attempt to rehydrate the hand.

THE WITNESS: I'M REFERRING TO NOW WHAT IS CALLED OUR WORKSHEET. IT HAS FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AT THE TOP. IT'S DATED FEBRUARY 14TH, 2002.

MR. FELDMAN: THANK YOU. BY MR. CLARKE:

Q DOES THAT WORKSHEET REFLECT THE VARIOUS ITEMS OF EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY THE BUREAU ON THAT DATE IN FEBRUARY?
A YES, IT DOES.

Q CAN YOU DESCRIBE THEM FOR ME.
A YES. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DESCRIBE THEM INDIVIDUALLY?

Q YES, PLEASE.
A WE HAVE THEM LISTED AS SPECIMENS Q1 THROUGH Q5, AND THAT'S IDENTIFIED AS DEBRIS FROM A VACUUM CLEANER. SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S NUMBERS ON THOSE ARE ITEMS 23-1 THROUGH 23-5.

Items collected AFTER Danielle's body was found at Dehesa:
Item 89 - the dirty white sheet from Dehesa
Item 92 - the clean white sheet from Dehesa
Item 93 -
Item 100 - fingernail clippings from left hand
Item 101 - fingernail clippings from right hand
Item 103 - A HAIR THAT WAS TANGLED UP IN THE RIGHT HAND
Item 104 - A SWAB OR SWABS FROM THE FRONT NECK AREA OF DANIELLE VAN DAM
Item 105 - SWABS FROM DANIELLE VAN DAM'S BACK NECK AREA
Item 106 - DARK SHORT HAIR FROM THE VICTIM'S BODY
Item 108 - HAIR REMOVED FROM THE VICTIM'S HEADItem 115 - VEGETATION THAT WAS COLLECTED FROM THE VICTIM'S LOWER BACK
Item 115 - DEBRIS THAT WAS COLLECTED FROM BELOW HER BODY AT THE ACTUAL CRIME SCENE.
Item 120 - NECKLACE TAKEN FROM AROUND DANIELLE'S NECK

Item 169 - THE SAME HAIR THAT WE'VE HEARD TESTIMONY ABOUT FROM THE ARMPIT AREA?
A. IT'S A DIFFERENT HAIR.
A. AFTER IT WAS ANALYZED, IT WAS PACKAGED WITH OTHER TRACE EVIDENCE COLLECTED AS ITEM T. E.-J. S.5.

Q. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION NOW TO AN ITEM LABELED T. E.-J. S. 4 THAT I BELIEVE WAS LABELED IN YOUR LABORATORY SEPARATELY THREE DIFFERENT ITEMS WITHIN THAT GROUP, NUMBERS 27, 28 AND 29; IS THAT CORRECT?
A. THAT IS CORRECT.

Q. DID THAT CONSIST OF WHAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS SCRAPINGS FROM THE RIGHT FINGERNAILS OF DANIELLE VAN DAM?
A. ITEM 28 IS DESCRIBED AS AN ENVELOPE CONTAINING SCRAPINGS COLLECTED FROM THE RIGHT FINGERNAILS.
(Can't find much information about ITEM T. E.-J. S.5)

Those two items in bold above bring up a couple of questions:

How long would plants continue to grow under her body? Would the body fluids kill this vegetation?

Does the debris from under her body include a condom wrapper? Was this wrapper tested in ANY manner? DNA, fingerprints, etc.

Q: Did you also collect any vegetation around the rear end area of the victim?
A: Yes.

Q: Tell us what that looked like, first of all.
A: Well, there was all types of vegetation. Leaves and grass and just all types of sticks. And they just looked like they, you know, like when they fall off of a tree and they crumple up and die. they weren't freshly green vegetation.

q: Did you collect vegetation from more than one area of the body?
A: Yes.

Q: In particular did you collect and assign an item number to that portion of the vegetation taken from the victim's buttocks area?
A: Yes.

Q: Tell us about what number you assigned that item.
A: Item number 115 was from the lower back and pelvis region.

Q. CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW THAT WAS ORGANIZED AND ORCHESTRATED?
A. I DIVIDED THE SEARCH INTO SEPARATE AREAS. THERE WAS A SEARCH IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE BODY WITHIN ABOUT A FIVE FOOT RADIUS THAT WAS GOING TO BE SEARCHED BY TWO CRIMINALISTS WHO WERE ASSISTING US AT THE SCENE ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.

MOST OF THE SEARCH ACTUALLY WAS CONDUCTED THE DAY AFTER THE BODY WAS FOUND AND HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SCENE.

INITIALLY, OUR FIRST GOAL WAS TO -- THE NIGHT THE BODY WAS FOUND IT WAS TURNING DARK, AND BEFORE IT GOT TOO DARK WE WANTED TO GET THE BODY OUT OF THERE. THE SCENE WAS CONTAINED, SECURED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN WE COULD OPERATE UNDER DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS AND SEARCH BETTER.

...Q: IT WAS ABOUT 2:09 P.M. THAT YOU FOUND THE BODY OF DANIELLE?
A: 2:09 IS WHEN I CALLED NINE-ONE-ONE, YES.

...THE NIGHT THE BODY WAS FOUND IT WAS TURNING DARK, AND BEFORE IT GOT TOO DARK WE WANTED TO GET THE BODY OUT OF THERE.

"Shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Danielle's body was removed from the trash-strewn site under the glare of lights provided by two fire trucks."

"HELD ON TO THEM. AND THE MOMENT I REALIZED I WATCHED ON THE NEWS, I -- THE MOMENT I REALIZED THE BODY WAS MOVED PRIOR TO A TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR PERIOD GOING AROUND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE SAME TYPE OF PHOTOS, I THOUGHT MAYBE MY PHOTOS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE OR COULD POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED SOMETHING THAT'S HELPFUL. SO I CALLED THE D. A."

"I THINK -- I THINK INITIALLY I WAS THINKING MAYBE SOMETHING I DID COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND MAYBE IF A PHOTO THAT I HAD PRIOR TO ANY OTHER TAMPERING COULD HAVE MAYBE BENEFITTED. BUT THAT'S WHY."

...Q DO YOU SEE ANY SIGNS IN THIS CASE FROM YOUR OBSERVATIONS THAT THE BODY WAS ONLY -- AT MULTIPLE PLACES AFTER IT WAS DEAD?
A IN REVIEWING SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS, THERE WAS -- AND ALSO IN REVIEWING THE REPORTS, WHAT I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE AREAS OF DECOMPOSITIONAL FLUID ON THE TRAIL AWAY FROM WHERE THE REMAINS FINALLY LAY, AND THAT IS A POSSIBILITY I THINK ALSO.
(Not too much makes sense, does it?)

...Q ALL RIGHT. AND THE REST OF THE BODY FROM ATTENDING THE AUTOPSY AND BEING WITH DR. BLACKBOURNE APPEAR TO BE MUMMIFIED?
A YES. IT WAS DRY.

..."YOU READ IN THE TRANSCRIPT OF SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, THAT UNDERNEATH THE BODY IT WAS DRY."

...Q ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM BODY SILHOUETTE?
A IF THAT'S REFERRING TO THE OUTLINE OF THE FLUIDS, THE PURGED FLUIDS OR LEACHING FLUIDS, THEN I ASSUME THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

Q THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
A RIGHT.

Q IF THAT ISN'T THERE, THAT'S ANOTHER FACTOR THAT THIS BODY WAS EXPOSED TO DRY, HOT CONDITIONS, CORRECT?
A IT COULD BE.

Q WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE?
A IT COULD BE THE BODY WASN'T THERE AT THAT LOCATION THE WHOLE TIME.

...Robin's Predictions • Psychic Robin Zodiac

Robin has successfully predicted events that have been part of national and global headlines over the years.

Here are some highlights.

•An old friend, Toni Mulhauser, living in San Diego, called Robin because the local news wanted psychics to locate Danielle Van Damme.

Her body was found on Highway 138 within 24 hours.
(And then moved to Dehesa by Westerfield? Why would Psychic Robin claim she located Danielle's body?)

...Tidbit: The tip to the Recovery Center was on 2/26. A woman called in the tip. She claimed to be psychic and gave a description of the area and told them it needed to be searched again. It was not a Bill Garcia hunch as we suspected or were led to believe.

•An old friend, Toni Mulhauser, living in San Diego, called Robin because the local news wanted psychics to locate Danielle Van Damme.

Mr. Feldman: I'm not sure how i -- i understood the question somewhat -- your honor's question different than i think mr. Dusek answered.
I understood your -- i understood your question to be how many times -- i thought you were asking did sightings get reported after mr. Westerfield was under surveillance.
Did the sightings get reported, in other words, did the people communicate to law enforcement. And my answer to that question is twenty-three.

And that's, again, all from discovery provided by the prosecution. and while the date range is between february the 1st and february the -- well, hernandez i think the report -- got a date of 25 february is when it might have been be that's our numbers, judge.

The court: Well, no. The concern i had was that argument was that there were ultimately sightings of the motor home after it was impossible for that motor home there.
(Perhaps it was somebody else in a motor home who dumped Danielle's body at Dehesa. After all, there were 23 motor home sightings at Dehesa after Westerfield was under 24 hr. surveillance. Anybody know if the caller on the 15th owned a motor home? Anybody know if the caller on the 15th had short dark brown hair?)

Q. HOW WAS DANIELLE DISCIPLINED WHEN SHE GOOFED UP?
A. USUALLY ALL OUR KIDS ARE SENT TO THEIR ROOMS AND TOLD TO THINK ABOUT IT. AND THEN AFTER A WHILE, READY TO APOLOGIZE -- SOMETIMES -- WE USED TO HAVE A QUIET CHAIR THAT THEY'D HAVE TO SIT IN THE CHAIR IN THE CORNER, WAIT AND THINK ABOUT IT. BUT WE HAD GONE TO SENDING THEM TO THEIR ROOMS AND THEN THEY'D HAVE TO APOLOGIZE AND TELL US WHAT THEY DID WRONG AFTER A WHILE.

Q. IS THAT WHAT YOU USED WITH DANIELLE?
A. YEAH, MOSTLY, YEAH.

Q. WOULD SHE DO ANYTHING WHEN SHE'D BE IN THE ROOM BEING PUNISHED?
A. YEAH. ONCE AGAIN, UNLIKE THE BOYS WHO WOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY DID WRONG AND APOLOGIZE, SHE WOULD DRAW I'M SORRY CARDS AND APOLOGIES, WRITE OR DRAW PICTURES OF APOLOGIES AND GIVE THEM TO US WITHOUT EVEN BEING ASKED.

Q. DID YOU SAVE ANY OF THOSE?
A. YEAH. ONE I KEPT ON MY NIGHTSTAND BECAUSE IT WAS A REALLY NICE ONE.

Q. NOW, I'VE HAD MARKED AS COURT'S EXHIBIT 201, IT'S A MANILA ENVELOPE CONTAINING A NOTE. DO YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT'S BEEN DESCRIBED AS 201, MR. VAN DAM?
A. YEAH, THIS IS THAT NOTE.

(MARKED FOR ID: = TRIAL EX. 201-I'M SORRY NOTE)

Q. WHAT'S IT SAY?
A. IT'S FOLDED UP, AND IT HAD A LITTLE HEART STICKING IT CLOSED, STICKER, SHE PUT STICKERS ON IT, AND IT SAYS "TO DAD" ON THE OUTSIDE. AND WHEN YOU OPEN IT IT SAYS "TO DAD. I AM SORRY. I WILL TRY TO BE NICE. WILL YOU FORGIVE ME? FROM DANIELLE." AND THEN IT HAS "I LOVE YOU," AN I, HEART, YOU, AND "YOU ARE THE BEST DAD EVER."
From the memory of Douglas Howard Pierce:
I WAS IN DANIELLE'S ROOM ON 02-06-02

INVITATION came after asking parents if I could bring something of child's in front of press pictures, toys, whatever to make her alive?

1. Danielle's "Daddy Forgive me" Note, shown to me by mother hidden in night stand (evidence)
(It appears there were two notes from Danielle hidden in the nightstand, the nice one and the "Daddy Forgive me" one. Pierce must have been handed the "Daddy Forgive me" one by accident. Seems more appropriate that he should have been handed the nice one to read to the media.)

BVD "Douglas how about something she just wrote to her Dad "Hidden in (DVD) nightstand.

The "Daddy forgive me note" was handed to DHP I read the torn 2 sided note, (That I NOW believe was from Journal/DIARY) AND WAS SHOCKED COULD NOT LOOK AT DVD FACE.

I HAVE ONLY A FEW QUESTIONS FOR SDPD!

You had 12 hours on 02-03-02 to search the home.
I found more than you in 7 hours on Day 5, 02-06-02. Why?

1. SDPD DO YOU HAVE THE DIARY/JOURNAL AND DADDY FORGIVE ME NOTE?
2. DID YOU CHECK ON OTHER PAGES TORN FROM HER DIARY/JOURNAL. LIKE THE DADDY FORGIVE ME NOTE?
3. ARE BOTH OF THESE PIECES OF EVIDENCE IN THE HANDS OF A CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST NOW?
4. WHY DIDN'T YOU SEAL THE BEDROOM FROM DAY 1, 02-02-02?
5. Why did you wait over 15 days to seal off her room?
6. HOW DID VAN DAM FAMILY FRIEND DIANE HALFMAN, AN EX POLICE SERGEANT HELP GUIDE THE INVESTIGATION?
7. WAS THIS HELP FROM DIANE HALFMAN THE REASON FOR YOU BELIEVING SHE WAS ABDUCTED?
8. DIANE HALFMAN WAS IN CHARGE OF THE DANIELLE RECOVER CENTER. ON DAY FIVE, 02-06-02,
9. WHY WERE YOUR DETECTIVES SO DRIVEN ON ONE SUSPECT?
(Sounds like Mr. Pierce focused on Diane Halfman for some reason.)

To: AllHere are snips I got from various articles (mostly U-T in San Diego) regarding Diane Halfman.

Halfman said search organizers had people call and volunteer to search from planes and by quad vehicles in the desert. They also searched locations in East and South counties, she said.

Halfman said they expected to have a good number of volunteers because of the holiday.

"Even if people have a few hours, (they) could come by and help," Halfman said. "No amount of time is too little." She said even if they can just pick up fliers and sign a card offering support, they can make a difference.

Halfman retired from the San Diego Police Department after she was injured. She worked mainly in patrol for 10 years, she said.

She said Brenda van Dam asked her to take over as the center director due to her experience in law enforcement.

Halfman said she had been at the van Dams' home since the beginning helping out and explaining to them about police investigative procedure.

"I personally know the investigators working on this case and they couldn't be in better hands," Halfman said.

Halfman said she tries to explain to them about methodical procedure and about how there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that police cannot talk about to the media.

After some consideration of her own family and time, she accepted the responsibility as director. "I look at it as, if I had my own daughter missing, Brenda would be out there helping," she said.

Halfman, who is also a family friend of the van Dams, said Westerfield's arrest and Danielle's parents vow to keep looking for their daughter has motivated more people to search for the missing child.

"Everyone has caught on the energy of Brenda and Damon," she said.

Halfman said she and Danielle's parents are hopeful that police may receive information about Danielle's whereabouts now that there has been an arrest.

"There is the hope that now that (Westerfield) is in custody, he will say something," she said. "I think it is a matter of time before we find her."

Damon van Dam and his high school friend, she said, plan to search Borrego Springs today. Searches in East County will continue throughout the weekend, she said.

So far, the volunteers have raised $8,000 and spent $2,000 searching for the little girl, Halfman said.

Donations can be made to the Danielle van Dam Search Fund at any Wells Fargo bank.

Some have criticized the van Dams for their involvement in the Jahi search, but Diane Halfman, former director of the Danielle Search Center, said the couple probably would have been criticized if they hadn't helped.

Danielle's parents, Damon and Brenda van Dam, conducted a media conference Thursday to announce that the volunteer search effort, located at what is now called the Danielle Recovery Center at the Doubletree Golf Resort at 14455 Penasquitos Drive, would move Monday to the ReMax Building at Pomerado and Poway roads and would be under new leadership.

The center was originally led by the Texas-based Laura Recovery Center Foundation, but its leaders have trained local volunteers so they can take over, officials said. Retired policewoman Diane Halfman, a friend of the van Dams, will direct the center.

To: HoneyBoo
Hello, and A welcome to you. I think I saw you on the threads yesterday.

A well-thought out scenario. I'm just wondering, however, how you square it with Feldman's contention that she wasn't killed....

As you may have read, this is a big bone of contention on these threads also. We know Danielle is dead. Her death could have been (accidental, unintentional period, heat of the moment unintentional, heat of the moment intentional, pre-planned)

It is very hard to tell which one of these it was.

According to the Medical Examiner and LE, We have no instrument or tool that was used, no trace of drugs or poison of any kind, no apparent major crushing injuries to the body, no signs of strangulation or drowning (although there are countless explanations for why any one of these could be the cause of death, but not visible or apparent to the ME).

SO, what we have in this case is a ME saying that because the police arrested DW, and have what they think is some trace evidence that COULD prove that DW had been in the MH or near his jacket at some time between when the VD's moved into Sabre Springs and when she died, that therefore the police have concluded DW did it, that the ME has concluded that Danielle's death was therefore a suicide.

THis is a BIG POINT that many are missing. That the ME's conclusion, used to bring DW to trial, is based on the police arresting and charging DW with the crime to begin with. (The snake that eats it's own tail.) And the arrest was before they had a body, and therefore any supporting evidence as to the manner of her death. Just that factor alone should have been enough for any person to see that the whole thing is a sham. We all believe, I am fairly certain, that Danielle did not die of natural causes. Other than that, I would say we can not be sure how she died.

and that her body wasn't placed in Dehesa 'till after DW was under scrutiny. Like to know your thoughts on this.

If DW did it, he couldn't have moved her body after he was in police custody, unless he had an accomplice. If DW did it, and he had an accomplice, why move it to where police can find it?

If it can be proven the body was not at Dehesa Rd until very recently(meaning just before discovered), then someone wanted the body found. Someone that knew this was a good likely spot, or someone that felt this would help implicate DW, and/or someone that knew that BILL GARCIA had done a review of that area and maps, and was sending the troops back to that exact area with more manpower. Who would that someone be? Who would gain from this? Without a body, it would be hard to take DW to trial. Without a body, if would be hard/impossible to collect on any insurance on the girl.

Earlier in this thread someone mentioned another thing that got past everyone, I believe.

What if Diane and her partner were babysitting for Damon that night? After Brenda was gone?

Could that person have hurt/killed Danielle? Would that explain why Diane Halfman was SO INVOLVED from the very first second of Danielle's disappearance? Why she directed the activies of the police investigators (they were personal friends), why she advised the VD's on police procedures, what to say and do? It would help us if we knew more about Diane Halfman's whereabouts on that Friday night.

...To: nycgal
How incompetent is the SDPD that they didn't have forensics check out his suv before he quickly dumped it?)

We don't know that they didn't check his van. BUT, they may have chosen to ignore any thing they found, BECAUSE THEY HAD THEIR MAN. Any thing they found in the van WOULDN'T SUPPORT THEIR CASE AGAINST DW.

Now, I really don't think the SDPD are all crooks. But, they could have been led by the nose, by a friend (Diane Halfman). They also could have been innocently ignoring things like that, because at the time, they were helping PARENTS look for a LOST or KIDNAPPED child. No reason, AT FIRST, to suspect the parents.

...To: All
Where was Diane Halfman on that FRIDAY NIGHT?

Why was she so quickly at the Van Dam's side?
How much influence did she have in the investigation (she was close personal friends of the investigators, and admitted so to the press)?Who is her common law/domestic partner?

Collins:
Q CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US WHY A ROBBERY LIEUTENANT WOULD ASSUME CONTROL OVER A KIDNAPPING CASE?
A THE ROBBERY SECTION IS IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATING ALL CRIMES INVOLVING COMMERCIAL ROBBERY, RESIDENTIAL ROBBERY, BANK ROBBERIES, AND KIDNAPPINGS WHERE THE VICTIM IS STILL OUTSTANDING.

At 2:30 in the morning on February 5, homicide investigators from the San Diego Police Department are standing outside David Westerfield’s house, preparing to go inside and search it. Sergeant Bill Holmes is one of the cops.

“Sergeant Holmes, what are you doing here?” a reporter asks.

“We’re here to relieve robbery,” he says. Robbery detectives had also been assigned to Danielle’s case.

“At 2:30 in the morning? That’s some pretty high-priced talent.”

Holmes smiles. “That’s the way they want it,” he says.

......Another source sees it differently: “Robbery did all the work, and homicide took all the glory. At one point, they were trying to give it to homicide, but they were backing away, [saying] ‘We don’t have a body yet.’”

Kong Testimony:
Q: WHAT OTHER ITEMS OF EVIDENCE DID YOU EXAMINE?
A: I EXAMINED THREE VACUUM CLEANERS. I LOOKED AT THE CONTENTS OF THE BAG FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. FOR AN EARRING BACKING AND ALSO FOR HAIRS.

Q: I'M SORRY. YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AN EARRING BACKING, IS THAT RIGHT?
A: THAT'S CORRECT.

Q: DID YOU FIND ONE?
A: NO.

...Q NOW, SINCE THE FORENSIC TEAM HAD ALREADY BEEN INSIDE -- STRIKE THAT. THE FORENSIC TEAM, ONCE IT HAD CONCLUDED ITS WORK, DID IT REPORT IT HAD FOUND NO BODIES, NO INDIVIDUALS?

MR. DUSEK: OBJECTION; HEARSAY.

THE COURT: OVERRULED.

THE WITNESS: THEY DIDN'T REPORT THAT THEY HAD NOT FOUND ANY BODY, BUT I ASSUME IF THEY HAD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME.
(Of course they would have with all reports, notes and evidence being handled by homicide. Mr. Collins they didn't event tell you abut the bloodstains in the stairwell. The most notably three bright red stains!!)

...(It appears you were on a "need to NO" basis Mr. Collins.)
Q IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE LEARNING THAT THE SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT FORENSIC TEAM IDENTIFIED WHAT APPEARED TO BE POTENTIAL BLOOD SPOTS ON THE STAIRWELL TODAY?

MR. DUSEK: OBJECTION; ASKED AND ANSWERED.

THE COURT: OVERRULED.

THE WITNESS: I BELIEVE SO.
("If they had found any blood in the house, I assume they would have told me." Wrong assumption!!!)

Psychic Kong, not to be confused with Psychic Robin. Psychic Robin led somebody to the Danielle's body on Hwy. 138 and Psychic Kong knew Danielle's body would be missing an earring backing two weeks before it was discovered with an earring backing missing. Perhaps Kong wasn't psychic and contacted Psychic Robin to learn what would be missing from Danielle's body when it was discovered on Hwy 138 two weeks into the future so he would know what evidence to search for in the vacuum cleaners.)

What do you think Mr. Feldman?MR. FELDMAN: I'M SORRY, YOUR HONOR, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
(Is it worth asking for Duncan's opinion or is this still not in the direction he wanted to go to solve this tragedy?)